Krandon Wenger of Lititz, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on June 2 before United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. to two counts of wire fraud related to a scheme that defrauded the government of more than $741,000 through a pandemic broadband assistance program, according to an announcement by United States Attorney David Metcalf.
Wenger was charged by information last month and waived prosecution by indictment with his plea. The charges stem from fraudulent claims submitted through K20 Wireless, LLC—a company owned and controlled by Wenger—under the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to provide financial support for low-income households’ broadband access during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Court filings state that after K20 Wireless became an approved ACP provider in April 2022, it began enrolling subscribers and submitting monthly certifications for reimbursement. Most requests were for subscribers allegedly living on tribal lands, qualifying for higher reimbursements of $75 per month instead of the standard $30. However, these claims were false; employees and agents changed subscriber addresses from non-tribal lands to tribal lands prior to submission.
This fraudulent activity resulted in overpayments totaling approximately $741,726 from the Federal Communications Commission. The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis A. Weber.
Wenger is scheduled for sentencing on September 28 and faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
